The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Halloween creates scary combination for pedestrians, motorists

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Halloween can be one of the most deadly nights of the year for both pedestrians and motorists, according to AAA.

With the increased number of walkers trick-or-treating, and party-goers that could be impaired behind the wheel, it makes for a scary combination. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that Halloween is consistently one of the top three days for pedestrian injuries and fatalities, and that 48 percent of all motor vehicle crash fatalities on Halloween night in 2012 involved a drunk driver.

“On Halloween, motorists need to be especially vigilant between the hours of 4 p.m. and midnight when pedestrians are most vulnerable,” said AAA spokesman John Pecchio, in a release. “Slowing down, watching for trick-or-treaters who might cross between cars or mid-block, and using a designated driver may save a life.”

AAA offers motorists these tips to help keep roadways safe:

• Avoid neighborhood shortcuts. If possible, avoid cutting through residential streets where trick-or-treaters are likely to be present. When providing directions to a party, try not to route guests through neighborhoods unnecessarily.

• Watch for children in the street. And not just on streets, but medians and curbs as well. Excited trick-or-treaters, often in dark costumes, may not pay attention to traffic, and cross mid-block or between parked cars.

• Slow down. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a pedestrian is more than twice as likely to be killed if they’re hit by a car traveling at 35 mph compared to 25 mph. What seems like a small difference — just 10 mph — can be the difference between life and death.

• Drive sober. Alcohol-impaired drivers make up about one-third of all motor vehicle deaths resulting in an average of one death every 45 minutes. Always designate a sober driver when planning to drink.

But it’s not just drivers who should consider some tips, but trick-or-treaters as well.

• Trick-or-treat together. AAA recommends that parents accompany young trick-or-treaters at least until the age of 12.

• Make a plan. Review trick-or-treating safety precautions and plan the rote ahead of time. Remind children never to cross the street mid-block, or between parked cars.

• Check costumes. Choose disguises that don’t obstruct vision, and opt for non-toxic face paint instead of masks. Check and adjust the length of customers to avoid tripping, and add reflective material to keep kids visible.

• Buckle up. If driving trick-or-treaters between neighborhoods, always use appropriate car booster seats, and have children exit and enter on the passenger side of the vehicle.

For additional Halloween tips, visit AAA.com/PublicAffairs.

Lower gas here just in time for holiday shopping

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Drivers are paying on average 65 cents less per gallon of gas they did just six months ago. And the price at stations around the state — and nation — continue to drop.

Gas in Florida checked in at $3.04 over the weekend, down 11 cents from a week ago, and below $3 in many markets, including in and around Pasco County.

“We are seeing gas prices falling at an average of 1 to 2 cents a day,” AAA spokesman John Carrasco said, in a release. “That’s extra money consumers can now use in other areas, like holiday shopping.”

Prices nationwide are the lowest since 2010, and gas has fallen below the $3 mark in 17 states, AAA said. Georgia was the latest state to cross the $3 mark, where the state average currently sits at $2.93. Tennessee, on the other hand, has one of the lowest gas prices in the nation at $2.80.

A barrel of oil fell $1.08 on Friday to $81.01, and hit a two-year low on Oct. 16 when it briefly dropped below $80. Some analysts believe oil prices could drop to $75, which likely would translate to even lower prices at the pump.

Florida’s prices are down more than a quarter from a year ago, when gas was selling at $3.30.

The RaceTrac and Mobil stations on State Road 52 on the northern part of Land O’ Lakes, has the cheapest gas in that area, checking in at $2.89 on Sunday, according to GasBuddy. The Sunoco at Land O’ Lakes and Causeway boulevards has reportedly the most expensive gas at $3.03.

Sam’s Club on State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel was just a penny cheaper than many of its surrounding competitors, with prices at $2.88. Not even the most expensive gas in that area is above $3 now, with two stations coming in at $2.99.

Two stations in Lutz reported $2.89 gas — the Citgo at North Dale Mabry Highway and Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, and Lutz Petroleum on U.S. 41. Two Shell stations in the Van Dyke Road area remain that area’s most expensive, at $3.09.

The cheapest gas n Zephyrhills was found at the Shell station at Buchman Highway and Central Avenue, which reported $2.95. Only the Citgo on Gall Boulevard and Chancey Road was above $3, according to GasBuddy, at $3.01.

Dade City has some of the cheapest prices in the area, with D&D at U.S. 98 and U.S. 301 reporting $2.85, and the Clark station at U.S. 301 near Long Avenue checking in at $2.87.

Scott wants closer look of Ebola threat

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Although one nurse already under quarantine feels the measures are too restrictive in other parts of the country, Gov. Rick Scott has issued an executive order that could go as far as putting people under quarantine he feels is at high risk for Ebola.

At a minimum, however, Scott is ordering twice-daily health monitoring for people returning from certain parts of the world where the virus is in an outbreak, continuing over the 21-day incubation period of Ebola. That includes areas like Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have determined to be high-risk.

“We have asked the CDC to identify the risk levels of all returning individuals from these areas, but they have not provided that information,” Scott said in a statement. “Therefore, we are moving quickly to require the four individuals who have returned to Florida already — and anyone in the future who will return to Florida from an Ebola area — to take pear in twice-daily 21-day health evaluations with DOH personnel.”

The Department of Health, according to the governor’s office, started to look for people returning to Florida from those areas after a doctor returned to New York and later tested positive for Ebola. While the executive order stops short of automatically ordering a quarantine of those returning from those areas, Scott said he’s giving the health department the authority to take that action for anyone they believe is “at high-risk of testing positive for Ebola due to the type of contact they had with the disease.”

Just four people have been diagnosed inside the United States with Ebola, two of them health workers in Texas who treated the first diagnosed case. Although there is a virus outbreak in parts of Africa, the ability to spread Ebola is still difficult, because it requires an infected person to show signs of the illness, like fever, and it requires direct contact with bodily fluids.

Animal shelter looking to ‘make a difference’

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Looking for a way to help make a difference? Well, Saturday is National Make a Difference Day, and Pasco County Animal Services has plenty of ways to assist people in living up to the day’s name.

The shelter, located at 19640 Dogpatch Lane in Land O’ Lakes, will host a community get-together Oct. 25 from noon to 4:30 p.m., looking for help when it comes to various items needed for the shelter’s furry tenants. That includes canned cat food, kitten formula, treats and even peanut butter. In return for donations like that, all adoption fees will be waived.

Make a Difference Days takes place on the fourth Saturday in October, where thousands of people come together to make a difference in the lives of others. It’s also one of the biggest volunteer days of the year, according to a release, and that will be felt in Pasco.

Coming to help at the shelter this weekend includes several groups, like the Future Business Leaders of America from River Ridge High School, and the Paws Club from Land O’ Lakes High School. They will take pictures of the animals with their new families, and hand out Halloween candy for kids.

“Community service projects bring so many people of all ages together in recognition of this day,” said Franchesca Blocher, a first grade teacher at Saint Anthony’s school in San Antonio, in a release. “I decided that this year, I would like to get some kids together and do a project that benefits Pasco County Animal Services.”

Blocher orchestrated a drive with her students that brought in several items off of the shelter wish list. Some were dropped off last weekend, and the rest will be shared this coming Saturday.

For more information on National Made a Difference Day, and the activities taking place at the shelter, call Pasco County Animal Services at (813) 929-1212, or visit PascoCountyFl.net/PAS.

 

Zephyrhills water to donate $50K at open house

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The public will get a rare opportunity Saturday to see inside the plant that Nestle Waters North America uses to produce Zephyrhills bottled water. But it will come with some money for area charities as well.

The company says it will donate $50,000 in honor of its 50th anniversary Saturday to organization that help support cleanup and education events at parks along the Hillsborough River, the company announced in a release. Splitting the donation are Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful and Tampa Bay Watch.

“One of our missions at Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful is to provide environmental education and volunteer opportunities for the community,” said Debra Evenson, executive director of the organization, in a release. “With the money contributed by the Zephyrhills brand, and the support of loyal Floridians, we will be able to expand our involvement in cleanup events, meeting at area parks and disseminating throughout communities along the Hillsborough River, to help preserve the delicate ecosystem of the Hillsborough River and Tampa Bay.”

The donation was supported by a social media campaign conducted by Nestle that invited consumers to share their favorite things about Florida. More than 23,700 items were shared, which Nestle donated a dollar for each, and then rounded up to the $50,000 donation.

The checks will be officially presented during a community open house at the Zephyrhills plant Oct. 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Local residents and businesses, along with government officials and employees will have a chance to take part in a free day of family activities, including a tour of the bottling facility, a barbecue lunch, face painting, games, and a visit to the WaterVentures Learning Lab.

The lab is a traveling science center that teaches families and young people about environmental stewardship. It’s supported by Nestle, and visited more than 250 schools over the past year. It features watershed tables, recycling exhibits, a relief map of Florida’s water features, and a display of the Florida aquifer, where the spring water for the Zephyrhills brand is obtained.

The Zephyrhills plant, located at 4330 20th St., in Zephyrhills, employs 250 people locally, and 900 throughout the region. Nestle bought the brand in 1982, part of a company that was originally founded in 1964.

Land O’ Lakes holding IB informational sessions

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Land O’ Lakes High School is hosting three family information nights for prospective applicants seeking ninth-grade admission into the school’s International Baccalaureate program for the 2015-16 year.

Parents and guardians of students currently in the eighth grade at public, charter and private schools are invited to attend, as well as families of students in other grades.

The first meeting is Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the high school’s mini theater, 20325 Gator Lane in Land O’ Lakes. The second meeting is Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m. at Long Middle School’s cafeteria at 2025 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel. The final meeting is Nov. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Weightman Middle School’s cafeteria, 30649 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel.

Those attending can learn about the IB program, as well as the application process.

For more information and for access to the 2015-16 online application, click here, or contact Jeff Morgenstein at (813) 794-9429, or (352) 524-9429. Or he can be emailed at .

Many child car seats are installed wrong

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AAA-The Auto Club Group is reaching out to drivers, making sure they are providing a safe ride for their young children by properly installing car seats.

“Three out of four car seats today are installed incorrectly,” said Michele Harris, director of traffic safety culture at AAA, in a release. “Too often, we see kids who are in a car seat that’s installed incorrectly, or not using an age-appropriate booster seat.”

One of the most frequent car seat mistakes is the positioning of the harness straps, Harris said. If straps are too loose, children will not be properly restrained in the event of a crash. This may subject them to higher crash forces, or even ejection from the seat altogether.

Harness straps should lie flat and not have any twists. The harness should be snug enough that one cannot pinch any extra material at the child’s shoulder.

With schools back in session, carpooling among parents increase obviously, which can result in situations where children are not riding in a car seat or booster seat. A recent AAA Consumer Pulse survey found that 45 percent of people surveyed in Florida agree it’s difficult to make arrangements to have booster seats available for other people’s children.

That survey was conducted Aug. 22-29 from a sampling of 400 people. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

The use of booster seats can reduce injuries by 45 percent compared to using an adult seatbelt alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Children who have outgrown their five-point harness car seat by weight or height should use a booster seat until they reach 4-foot-9, typically between the ages of 8 and 12.

For younger children using a five-point harness car seat, many hospitals offer car seat installation classes, and car seat inspection stations provide certified child passenger safety technicians to inspect seats to make sure they are installed properly. It find an inspection station, visit SafeSeats4Kids.AAA.com.

Beginning Jan. 1, every driver in Florida will be required to use a child restraint device for children up to the age of 6, AAA said.

Crist has slim lead in Saint Leo poll

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With a less than two weeks until voters have to make a final decision on who they should send to (or keep in) Tallahassee, a new poll from the Saint Leo University Polling Institute shows Democrat Charlie Crist with a slight lead over incumbent Republican Rick Scott.

However, the survey — which polled 500 likely voters between Oct. 16 and Oct. 19 — has a margin error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points, still making the Crist-Scott race a statistical dead heat. Crist received 43 percent of the support from those surveyed, while Scott garnered 40 percent.

Yet, the numbers may be a little troublesome for Scott, since those polled also said they disapproved of President Barack Obama’s work in office. That means the anti-Obama sentiment Republicans have tried to capitalize on in the race may not be working.

Of those surveyed, 51 percent said they disapproved of Obama, while 48 percent approved.

Both Scott and Crist seem to have about the same approval ratings themselves, with the incumbent receiving 48 percent favorable ratings, while Crist was at 47 percent.

Crist also had the support of 15 percent of Republicans, compared to Scott’s 11 percent of Democrats, and 76 percent of black voters. Scott’s biggest demographic was in older voters above the age of 65, getting 48 percent of their vote compared to 44 from Crist.

“It appears as though Charlie Crist’s attacks against Rick Scott are working, as the race has swung away from the incumbent in the last few months,” said Frank Orlando, a political science instructor at Saint Leo University, in a release.

However, Crist’s lead is still a bit tenuous.

“Pre-election polls tend to overstate support for third-party candidates,” Orlando said. “When it comes time to cast their ballots, voters seem to settle on one of the two main parties for fear of ‘wasting’ their vote.”

The Libertarian in the race, Adrian Wyllie, received 8 percent support, while another 9 percent remained undecided. However, if Wyllie was removed the equation, Crist and Scott would be in a true dead heat, getting 45 percent of support apiece, while 10 percent remained undecided.

In the attorney general race, Republican incumbent Pam Bondi was leading her challenger, Democrat George Sheldon, 47 percent to 39 percent. Adam Putnam seems to be well ahead of his Democratic challenger for agriculture commissioner, Thad Hamilton, with 51 percent support.

The same is true for Jeff Atwater in the chief financial officer race, leading Democrat Will Rankin 50 percent to 35 percent.

Finally, how much could the Ebola virus’ entry into the United States affect state races in Florida? Probably not as much as some would hope. Only 46 percent said they were concerned about Ebola, while 52 percent said they were not losing sleep over it. Only 3 percent were not sure how they felt about the disease.

Early voting in Pasco County begins Oct. 25, with the general election set for Nov. 4.

Homeless veterans given chance at Stand Down event

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Pasco County Stand Down is set for Oct. 24-26 at Veterans Memorial Park in Hudson.

The grassroots, community-based intervention program helps the nation’s estimated 67,000 homeless veterans manage life on the streets. The national program began in San Diego in 1988, and has since spread to include more than 200 similar events nationwide.

The local Stand Down supports homeless and at-risk veterans in Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Hernando counties. It provides a broad range of highly needed services, including food, clothing, medical and dental care, benefits advice, personal care, haircuts, entertainment, and mental health services.

It is sponsored by several local public and private organizations, including Saint Leo University, which will provide a select group of current and former Saint Leo master of social work students, along with faculty, to help the veterans out. The social work program is part of an institution service learning project that provided needed counseling for veterans while at the same time train newer social work clinicians in advanced, research-based counseling methods.

More than 125 veterans who are expected to attend will be offered free, confidential and supportive counseling services — the first time that such services are being offered at the event.

For more information on the event, which takes place at 14333 Hicks Road in Hudson, visit PascoStandDown.org.

 

A gem of a golf course just minutes from Land O’ Lakes

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Ron Padoba has been the proud owner of the Meadow Oaks Golf and Country Club since 1994. The course was originally built in 1984. “People are always telling us they never knew we were here,” says Ron. “You can’t see the course from the highway.”

CLMeadowOaksMeadow Oaks is a challenging shorter course – 6,030 yards from the back tees. It’s not too difficult for beginners, but still challenging enough for experienced golfers. The front nine holes wind through majestic oak trees. Water comes into play on seven of the final nine holes.

It’s a player friendly course with good condi- tions centrally located a few miles north of Land O’ Lakes. “We’d like to be known as the friendly golf course,” says Ron. “A lot of golf courses are in trouble these days, because it’s just a business to the owners. We’re hands-on owners on-site everyday. The whole family plays. We’re passionate about golf.”

The course is open to the public. A variety of memberships are available at reasonable prices. The course is maintained in a state of tournament preparedness. The greens feature Jones-Dwarf grass.

Laura Sanderson, head golf professional, says it’s more like a mom and pop shop with a hometown feeling. “We love our staff and take pride in our course,” says Laura. “We’re constantly looking for ways to upgrade and improve the course. We’ve probably played every golf course in several counties. We try to integrate the things we like about other courses into ours.”

Meadow Oaks has a full driving range, warmup areas, an immaculately maintained putting green, and a chipping green with practice bunker.

“We’re golfers,” says Ron. “We look at our course with a golfer’s eyes. We’re constantly looking toward the future, to things we can do to make this course the very best in the area. This is a constantly changing industry. We’re always on the lookout for new ideas.”

Golf pro Laura Sanderson is a past member of the LPGA and a certified instructor for the AAU Junior Golf program. She teaches the courses at Meadow Oaks for junior golfers ages 17 and under. She is an All-Army European Women’s Golf champion and a member of the All-Forces Golf team.

“We produce the best course that people can play at a reasonable price,” says Laura. “We’re successful for a reason, we’re doing a lot of things right.”

Ron grew up in the area and graduated from high school there. Laura was born and raised here. The staff is made up of community people. Most have been working there for years. All of this contributes to the family friendly atmosphere of the club.

You’ll find a good mix of golfers playing at Meadow Oaks, from beginners to seniors. Mature oak trees abound. The club also hosts tournaments, weddings and charity events. There is a full bar and restaurant where you can relax and enjoy a meal whether you’re golfing or not.

Meadow Oaks is located approximately 1.5 miles from the Suncoast Parkway interchange (Route 578 / County Line Road). The clubhouse restaurant serves breakfast and lunch every day of the week. Their Friday night fish fry is very popular. Play nine holes and eat, or just come for dinner. They also feature a full-service liquor bar.

Meadow Oaks Golf & Country Club is located at 13125 Fairwinds Road in Hudson. Additional information can be found on their website at MeadowOaksCountryClub.com. Their phone number is (727) 856-2878.

– Mike Matthew

This story is a feature of the advertising department.